Feed-bag.



A. R. 'HOFFMANN.

FEED BAG.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 30, 1907.

Patented Mar. 2, 1909.

WITNESSES:

INVENTOR. W A. /)%4mu 4/ BY 4 ATTORNE D STATES Parana orrrcn. I

" AUGUST n. HorrMANN, or s'r. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

FEED-BAG.

To? all 'whomtt may concern: Be it known that I, AUeUs'r R. I-IOFFMANN, aacitizen of the United States, residing in. the city-of St. Louis and State of Missouri, haveinvented a new and useful Improvementin'Feed-Bags, of which the following is afull,i'cle'ar, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,zwhich form a part thereof.

My: invention relates to that type of feed bags used for feeding grain or similar food toahorse when itis in harness on the street or when the animal cannot be given food from a regular trough in a'stable, by means of which the grain is automatically supplied according to the needs of the animal.

The object of my invention is to provide a bag that will automatically supply the grain as required by the animal; that will not clog or become inoperative; that will allow the animal to breathe freely while his nose is in the bag; and that, further, will allow such moisture as may fall into the eating part of the bag to drain off and thus prevent an accumulation of moisture from slobbering of the animal.

My invention is fully shown in the accompanying drawings, where similar letters are used to designate similar parts.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a view of the bag when it is attached in position on the horse; Fig. 2 is a front view of the bag detached from the horse; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of Fig. 2 along the line 33; Figs. at

and 5 are views showing the construction of details of the apparatus.

Referring to the figures, A is a receptacle into which the grain is put; and B is a nose bag into which the grain passes from A, and from which it is eaten by the horse. The nose bag has a rigid bottom stiffened by the wire F, and provided with drip openings 6.

C is an adjustable front to the nose bag B.

- By drawin up or loosening the straps G,

the front C may be drawn in or let out so as to make the nose bag small or large to fit the nose of the horse.

D is a nostril opening below the front C, through which the horse can breathe cool, fresh air from the outside of the bagwhile eating.

E is a strap which passes over the horses head and supports the bag while it is in use. H is a rigid neck, shown in detail in Figs. 4 and 5, which fits into the lower end of the receptacle A and through which the grain Specification of Letterslat ent.

" Patented March 2, 1909.

, Application filed September 30, 1907. Serial No. 395,290.

flows from A into the nose bag B through an opening in the lower, part. Thisneck H is fastened to the back and front of A by means o'fcord or wire fasteners S passing through the projecting lips/t. The fiow'of grain through the opening in 'H" from the receptacle A into B is regulated by the slide (l, which moves upward and'downward in the covered 'way d. (Z and d are shown in detail in'Fig. 5, 'which'i's a sectional view along the line 5-5 of the lower part of F The object of having danoye in the covered way (Z is that the grain in the neck H may not'inter fere with the movement of the slide .cZ when it is' n'ecessaryto operate it. lVithout this rigid neck II it is found that the lower portion of the receptacle A sags down, and bags below the orifice leading into the nose bag, in such a way as to inter fere with the free movement of the grain- To use the feed bag, the reeeptaele A is filled with grain and the strap E is passed over the horses head and buckled, as shown in Fig. 1, in such a way that the nose of the horse is in the nose bag so that he can reach the grain lying on the bottom. The front (1 is then adjusted to fit the nose of the horse and buckled. in place, and then the slide (Z is raised and the grain flows from A into B. As the animal eats he, by the removal of the grain from B and also by shaking his head, causes grain to flow from A into B fast enough to satisfy his demands. hen the horse stops eating, the grain ceases to flow into B and hence there is little waste of grain either by spilling from the feed bag or because of mouthing of it by the horse. Moisture that may dribble from the mouth of the horse will pass through the drip openings Z) or will be dried by the passage of air upwards through these drip openings. The bottom of the nose bag should be stiff to retain its curved shape and hence the stiffening wire F used.

The opening D should be so arranged and located as to afford a free entrance of air to the nostrils of the horse, so that the air breathed by the horse while eating is not contaminated by dust or dirt from the grain, but is cool and fresh.

The various parts of the feed bag may be made of any suitable materials, and the sizes and shapes of the parts may be adjusted to suit the needs of various conditions without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is;

1. A feed bag for horses comprising a receptacle for grain, a nose bag having an adjustable front, a rigid neck member between the receptacle for grain and the nose bag having an opening in the lower part thereof for the passage of grain into the nose bag, a slide controlling said opening, a covered way in which said slide moves, and means whereby the bag may be suspended from the horses'head, substantially as described.

2. A feed bag for horses comprising a re ceptacle for grain, a nose bag having an adjustable front and an opening for the passage of air into the nose bag below the adjustable front, a rigid neck member between the receptacle for grain and the nose bag having an opening in the lower part thereof for the passage of grain into the nose bag, a slide controlling said opening, a covered way in which said slide moves, and means where by the bag may be suspended from the horses head, substantially as described.

A feed bag for horses comprising a receptacle for grain, a nose bag having a front and an opening for the passage of air into the nose bag below said front, means whereby'said front may be adjusted to fit the nose of the horse, a curved perforated bottom for the nose bag, a wire attached thereto whereby said bottom is stiffened, a rigid neck member between the receptacle for grain and the nose bag having an opening in the lower part thereof for the passage of grain into the nose bag, a slide controlling said opening, a covered way in which said slide moves upward and downward, and means whereby the bag may be suspended from the horses head, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

AUGUST R. H01? FMANN. lVitnesses HARRIET M. HETFIELD, MARJORIE ALEXANDER. 

